Friday 15 January 2010

Inside the Wolseley


Remember the Wolseley motor car? I do, though they'd been absorbed into the British Leyland leviathan by that time, which became the fate of many marques at the time, including Rover, Jaguar, Daimler, Triumph, MG and more.

A good friend of my father invariably drove Wolseleys; they had become a smart version of the Austin 1800/2200 by the seventies. The little, illuminated Wolseley badge on the grille amused me.

I ate at the Wolseley restaurant last night, named after the aforementioned car because there used to be a showroom at the premises. The Wolseley is quite far up Piccadilly, near the Ritz hotel.

I followed my usual practice, telling them that I hadn't booked; and, without further ado, I was shown to a table in the middle of the restaurant where I could view all.

It's a busy place, though service was prompt. They provided me with a newspaper.

I ordered the seasonal game "fully garnished"; and a side order of mashed potato. It was Scottish venison. I love venison, especially when it's nicely cooked: the meat tonight was quite rare; lean, tender and delicious.

For pudding I had the blackberry and apple crumble with custard. I washed the meal down with a glass of their own red wine.

Price-wise, this place is on a par with the Ivy. The customary cover and service charges are added to the bill.

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